Earthstar Farms is a collective of four small organic farms located in the foothills above Boulder, Colorado. Together Wildcat Gardens, Earthstar Farm, Wildstar Farm and Starlight Caravan share over 150 acres of mountain meadows, pine forests and areas of cultivated gardens. The growers are all neighbors and hold the land as sacred. Earthstar Farms has been USDA certified organic for over 20 years and is committed to following earth-wise, sustainable practices such as Biodynamics and Permaculture.

Earthstar Farm

The original EarthStar Farm land, consisting of 180 acres of mountain meadow and forest, was purchased by David Tresemer in 1987. It had been stewarded by Gilbert and Anne White since 1958. (There is a lovely trail nearby named after Anne U. White.) A large portion of the land had been farmed since the 1920s, producing dry peas, potatoes and alfalfa hay. Gilbert White was a professor of Geography at University of Colorado Boulder, and was interested in water hazards management. He documented a large, dramatic landslide on the land after a very intense rainstorm (stronger and more localized than the 2013 floods). That 1920 mudslide moved tons of topsoil into an area that is now growing gardens and organic herbs.

After David purchased the land, he began to apply organic gardening practices, and in 1990 the farm became USDA Certified Organic. David called upon the expertise of Debra St. Claire to help identify the native plants present on the land, which included St. John’s Wort, Oregon Grape Root, Yucca, Arnica, Gayfeather, Mullein, and others. Earthstar Farm began with these native wild-crafted herbs, and many of these same herbs are still being harvested today.

David continued with his land stewardship, including forest management (removing over 5,000 trees), erecting (and removing) fences, terracing new garden areas, growing native plants from seed, designing the landscape for water retention and to benefit native plants. Earthstar Farm started using Biodynamic techniques early on, and continues to use them today. Over the years, many wonderful volunteers and gardeners have worked on the land, leaving their caring imprints and contributing to the farm’s evolution.

Numerous energy works and sacred structures, including The StarHouse, have also been built on the land. These enhance the life force of the area and contribute to the interconnection of people with nature, supporting a healthy setting for much of the work that occurs on the land. This original farm is now stewarded by four different owners who are all growing organic herbs under the Earthstar Farms label.

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Wildcat Gardens

Established in 2004, Wildcat Gardens is the vision of Aria Seidl, a passionate gardener, who with her partner Ben Levi co-created the farm. Over the years they have built a series of terraced garden beds, a solar drying shed, a greenhouse, dug a pond, built a spillway, erected fences, and created xeriscape growing areas. They have also planted a small orchard, berry patches, a large vegetable garden, plus a wide variety of medicinal and culinary herbs, including lots of lavender. Aria is the organic gardener for Wildcat Gardens, and one of the creative forces behind the development of Earthstar Farms’ herbal products. Ben is the local IT expert and has designed a detailed accounting system, product labels and a farm-wide database for tracking all the ins and outs of running a certified organic farm with four different growers. Ben is also responsible for the design and maintenance of the sustainable systems incorporated at the Wildcat residence, including a 4.2 kW solar array, hot water panels, rainwater storage and monitoring systems. Wildcat Gardens has been growing steadily over the years with the help of friends, interns and the occasional WWOOFers. Ben and Aria also host educational workshops and farm tours. It is our mission to grow high quality healing herbs, and to work co-creatively with others to provide inspirational, earth-based learning for the universal good.

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Wildstar Farm

Mark Cronshaw purchased 138 Wildcat Lane from David Tresemer in August 2008.  The 1.6 acre property includes a large organic garden that had been terraced and planted by David Tresemer's tenants, and was known as the Lower Garden.  Mark took stewardship of the land and renamed it Wildstar Farm, continuing as one of the four certified organic farms of Earthstar Farms. The farm’s garden is fenced, irrigated, and has a magnificent southern exposure, making it an ideal growing area.  Mark has set up his farm to produce medicinal herbs and flowers and to create an organic community garden for the neighborhood. Over twenty different organic herbs are grown, harvested and dried at the farm, including calendula, catnip, comfrey, dandelion, elderberry, mullein, nettles, raspberry leaf, red clover, spearmint and sweetgrass. The farm has a small orchard with cherry, apple, and plum trees, and also grows raspberries and blackcurrants. Mark likes to grow cutting flowers and winter squash, which he sells to neighbors. Over the years various neighbors have maintained community garden plots on the farm, growing a variety of vegetables and flowers. It is a large, beautiful area and more community gardeners are always welcome.

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Starlight Caravan

Starlight Caravan is owned and managed by Timothy and Vera Dobson. One of four farms that make up Earthstar Farms, Starlight Caravan covers 10 acres of mountain forest and meadow with cultivated gardens, a geodesic dome greenhouse and the Dobson’s log cabin home. Timothy and Vera have stewarded the certified organic property for over 15 years and specialize in growing passion flower, one of Earthstar Farms’ most popular herbs. Vera manages the organic gardens, harvests wild-crafted herbs and makes beautiful smudge sticks. Timothy has been involved with The StarHouse for many years, as a minister and as the director of the Dances of Universal Peace. Timothy and Vera also breed Siberian Neva Masquerade cats.